Miami Dolphins Announce Team Award Winners
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MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced its team award winners for the 2016 season. Running back Jay Ajayi was named the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player, defensive end Cameron Wake earned the Don Shula Leadership Award and also was named the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner and wide receiver Kenny Stills earned the Nat Moore Community Service Award.
Ajayi is a first-time winner of the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player award after he totaled 1,272 rushing yards, the third-most in a single season in Dolphins history. Ricky Williams is the only Dolphins player to ever rush for more yards in a season, when he totaled 1,853 in 2002 and 1,372 in 2003. Ajayi rushed for 200-plus yards three different times in 2016, posting three of the team’s top six single-game rushing totals in this season alone. He is one of just four NFL players to rush for 200 yards in at least three games in a season, joining Earl Campbell (1980, four times), O.J. Simpson (1973, three times) and Tiki Barber (2005, three times). He posted back-to-back 200-yard rushing games vs. Pittsburgh (Oct. 16) and Buffalo (Oct. 23) and is just the fourth NFL player to do that, joining O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1976), Earl Campbell (1980) and Williams (2002). Ajayi is just the third running back to win the award since 1982, joining Williams (2002, 2009) and Keith Byars (1993). This award is voted on by South Florida media and the organization and was re-named the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award in 2000 to reflect the achievements of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.
Wake earned the Don Shula Leadership Award for the third time in his career. He also earned the honor in 2013 and 2014. Wake is just the third player in Dolphins history to win the award at least three times, joining linebacker Zach Thomas (1998-99, 2005) and defensive end Jason Taylor (2002, 2006-07, 2009). Wake also was named the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award and is just the second Dolphins defensive end to win the award (David Bowens, 2004). He joins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino (1995) as the only Dolphins to ever win the Don Shula Leadership Award and Ed Block Courage Award in the same season. The Don Shula Leadership Award is voted on by the players and is given to the player who exhibits leadership on and off the field. It was re-named the Don Shula Leadership Award in 2005 to reflect the accomplishments of Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula. Each year, players from all 32 teams select a teammate to receive the Ed Block Courage Award. The recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. The honoree also is a community role model.
Wake suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the seventh game of the 2015 season, one that required a long and grueling rehabilitation process to return to the field. At the age of 34, Wake not only returned to the field in time for the first regular season game but put together one of the most dominant seasons of his illustrious career. The eighth-year pro finished third in the AFC and tied for sixth in the NFL with 11.5 sacks, the third double-digit sack season of his career. Wake was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 6 and recorded 10.5 sacks from that point through the end of the regular season, the second-most in the NFL over that time span, and helped the Dolphins finish the season 9-2 and earn their first playoff spot since 2008. He is one of just three NFL players in the past decade to have 10-plus sacks at age 34 or older, joining Julius Peppers (2015) and John Abraham (2012-13). Wake is tied for second in the AFC and tied for third in the NFL with five forced fumbles this season. Miami won every game in which he recorded at least a half-sack and he is expected to play in the first playoff game of his career on Sunday, Jan. 8 at Pittsburgh.
Stills is the second wide receiver to win with Nat Moore Community Service Award (Wes Welker, 2005). Stills, along with teammates Arian Foster, Jelani Jenkins and Michael Thomas, hosted a town hall meeting with community leaders, law enforcement and coaches, funded a community tailgate with tickets and refreshments for each home game and took part in a ride-a-long with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with RISE, The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. Founded in 2015 by Stephen Ross, RISE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. Stills also was the team’s most active player in community Tuesdays. This year alone Stills visited three schools, two hospitals, participated in a back-to-school backpack distribution, handed out toys for the holidays and assisted in Make-A-Wish visits to the team. The Nat Moore Community Service Award is given each year to a Miami Dolphins player recognized for his involvement in the South Florida community. The winner of this award is chosen by the Miami Dolphins Foundation and named after Moore to highlight the commitment the former wide receiver had in the South Florida community. Moore spent 13 seasons in a Dolphins uniform, culminating by his placement on the Dolphins Honor Roll in 1999.
